Palmetto ERN/ERA Tips & Time Savers

On September 30, 2011, Palmetto posted the following tips and time savers to their website (http://www.palmettogba.com) to help you make the most of Electronic Remittance Notices/Advices (ERNs/ERAs). Their information follows: 

Does your software automatically post your ERNs/ERAs to your patient's accounts? Are you finding that when a claim denies or rejects you have to call the Provider Contact Center (PCC) to find out why? Here are a few tips to save your office time and money. 

• When your software does not automatically post an ERN/ERA to a patient's account, the ERN/ERA will tell you why the claim was denied or rejected but...you may have to check within your practice to see who has the electronic remittance notice file so you can manually work that notice. There is no need to call the PCC, the information is included on the ERN/ERA.

• If your software doesn't allow you to view an electronic remittance notice, CMS offers free Medicare Remit Easy Print (MREP) software that you can upload the ERN/ERA into, then easily read and print any part of that ERN. The software is free!

• If you use a clearinghouse to receive your ERNs/ERAs make sure that your clearinghouse is translating all the information that Palmetto GBA provides. That includes all reason and remarks codes. These items explain how a claim was handled and why a claim may be denied or rejected. Without all the information Palmetto GBA provides, your staff will spend more time trying to work your remittance notices.

• Palmetto GBA is pleased to offer Online Provider Services (OPS), our free Internet-based, provider self-service portal. Providers must have a signed Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) agreement on file to register for OPS. The OPS application provides information access over the Web for the following online services:

* Eligibility

* Claims Status

* Remittances Online

* Financial Information (payment floor and last three checks paid)

• The benefits of ERNs include:

* The amount payable for each line and/or claim as well as each adjustment applied to a line or claim can be automatically posted from an ERA

* Can eliminate the time and cost for staff to post this information manually from a paper remit

* Contact your software vendor or clearinghouse to make sure you are getting the full potential out of your ERAs

* Free software - Medicare Remit Easy Print ( MREP) - enables providers to view, print, and export special reports to Excel and other application programs they may have

* Free software located on the EDI Web page of the Palmetto GBA Web site

• The benefits of Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) include:

* Reduction to the amount of paper in the office

* Valuable time savings for staff and avoidance of the hassle associated with going to the bank to deposit a Medicare check

* Elimination of the risk of Medicare paper checks being lost or stolen in the mail

* Faster access to funds; many banks credit direct deposits faster than paper checks

* Easier reconciliation of payments with bank statements